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Heavy Metals and Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAHs) in a Rural Community Leewards of a Waste Incineration Plant
Author(s) -
Wilcke Wolfgang,
Amelung Wulf,
Zech Wolfgang
Publication year - 1997
Publication title -
zeitschrift für pflanzenernährung und bodenkunde
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.644
H-Index - 87
eISSN - 1522-2624
pISSN - 0044-3263
DOI - 10.1002/jpln.19971600305
Subject(s) - incineration , heavy metals , environmental chemistry , environmental science , waste management , rural community , chemistry , engineering , socioeconomics , sociology
In a rural community (Stephanskirchen, Southern Germany) near a waste incineration plant 7 soils, sewage sludge, waste incineration residues, the gutter sediment of a family home, and mosses were sampled to determine the total concentrations of Cd, Pb, Zn and 20 PAHs. Representative samples were used to measure NH 4 NO 3 ‐ and EDTA‐extractable Cd, Pb, and Zn as well as 20 PAHs in particle size separates (clay, silt, fine and coarse sand). Sites near the main road, hill top, and forested sites contain up to 1.24 mg Cd, 888 mg Pb, and 279 mg Zn per kg. The heavy metal concentrations of the sewage sludge, the gutter sediment, and especially the waste incineration residues are extremely high (up to 57 mg Cd, 3300 mg Pb, and 5700 mg Zn per kg). The extractability of Pb and Zn with NH 4 NO 3 is low (< 5%), that with EDTA is high (up to 71.2% of total Cd, 82.5% of total Pb, and 47.2% of total Zn). The sum concentrations of PAHs range between 0.4 and 470 mg kg −1 . The silt has the highest PAH concentrations of the particle size separates. High saturation of organic matter with PAHs in the sand indicates high recent PAH deposition. Selected ratios of single PAHs reveal diesel and gasoline exhausts as main sources for PAH. Principal component and cluster analysis show that the pollutant pattern depends on the C org concentration and on the time passed since deposition. There is no significant influence of the waste incineration emissions on the heavy metal and PAH concentrations.